The feature article in The Hollywood Reporter is about an HBO series called Silicon Valley, which I have never seen and know nothing about. However, the cover headline “Triumph of the Beta Male” is a devious bit of provocation — click-bait, really, and not actually relevant to the article about a “satire” of tech-industry start-up culture, produced by Mike Judge of Beavis and Butt-Head fame. The only reference to “Beta males” in the whole thing is a caption on a photo of one of the actors, Zach Woods: “There’s a tender quality to these guys. I’m among my tribe of, like, beta males.” The backstory is that the show’s “breakout star,” T.J. Miller, left the show last season. Miller was evidently an “Alpha male” and a party animal and thus, the show without him is . . .

“Triumph of the Beta Male.”

Or so HBO wants us to believe. It may be that, without Miller’s oversized persona, the series will go belly-up, but we don’t know that yet. The relevant point is that this headline is just hype to sell a magazine which, in turn, is just hype to promote an HBO series. There is no reason for a “freak out” over this ridiculous magazine cover, Bre:

The cast of HBO’s “Silicon Valley” stand in a line, hands in one another’s pockets, with a meek expression that says: “You don’t have to worry about me getting you pregnant, because my sperm count is so low! Not that you would sleep with me anyway, because my handshake is so weak it would send you running in the other direction.”

Really? We’re talking “sperm count” because of a magazine cover about a cable TV show? And you’re not helping either, Paul:

As we highlight in the video below, from the #MeToo movement, to commercials, to culture in general, young men appear to be being indoctrinated with the idea that being weak and effeminate will help them get ahead in life and relationships.
Combined with constant lecturing that they need to keep their “toxic masculinity” in check, this has led to a dramatic loss of confidence amongst young men and the rise of sub-cultures where some are giving up on women entirely.

Young men are “being indoctrinated” and “giving up on women entirely” because of an HBO series and a magazine cover? Not to go all “Alpha male” here, but what would Sun Tzu say? If your enemy is trying to provoke you into an attack, do not let yourself be provoked. But to go from The Art of War to the Art of Punditry, if you can’t say something clever, say nothing at all. Don’t over-react to this kind of click-bait trolling. About 95% of what comes out of Hollywood these days is either:

Degenerate filth;

Democrat Party propaganda;
or

Degenerate filth that is also Democrat Party propaganda.

If you’re going to pay attention to this stuff, try to avoid the Oswald Spengler reaction, except as deadpan irony:

Humanity is doomed.
But you knew that already.

That’s Ace’s “smart take,” and at least I think it’s ironic. Conservatives must try to laugh amid the wreckage of our once-great civilization. Cheerful good humor helps maintain high morale, and also is indicative of high sperm counts. Or so I’m told.